Mary Margaret Thelen

Mary Margaret (Yulich) Thelen passed on April 4, 2014. Mary was born in Kansas City, KS on September 11, 1930 to Phillip and Anna (Harris) Yulich. She attended Holy Name Catholic Grade School, Lillis High School and KCKS Junior College where she received a Teaching Degree.

Air Force Staff Sargent Donald E. Thelen and Mary Margaret Yulich were married on 12-17-1952 and were married 56 happy years until Don passed in 2008. The pain of the death of son Donald E. (Donnie) Thelen, Jr. in 1981 was always with her. Mary is also preceded in death by Son-in-law R. Nicholas Pflumm, brothers/in-laws: Phillip (Mary Lou), Donald (Margie) and Tommy Yulich.

Mary was a devoted wife, mother, mother-in-law, grandmother and great grandmother. She was a talented seamstress, award winning artist, author and illustrator of children's books using her grandchildren as the characters. Mary loved camping at area lakes, but Colorado was where the family vacationed every year. In 1984 they bought a home in Cotopaxi, Colorado on top of a mountain and named it "Donnie's Dream" for their son. Great vacations were had there working, hiking and relaxing until it was sold in 2001. Mary and Don then went back to her love of camping and travel.

Mary was a Blue Birds Leader, a Boy Scout Leader, a member of the PTO/PTA and a room mother at St. Joseph Grade School, she was a home maker until her last child was in High School then she went to work at Ohio Casualty Insurance Company until she retired.

Mom inspired daughter Bernadette and husband Dave Farra to raise money for a cure for Alzheimer's. In 2012 "The Ride To End Alzheimer's" motor cycle ride was held. This year will be the third ride, all money going to the Alzheimer's Association. Our team name in the Alzheimer's walk is "Mom's Reasons".

Mary is survived by her children: Donna Pflumm, Kathy (Mike) Evans, Philip (Terri) Thelen and Bernadette (Dave) Farra. Grandchildren: Steve (Sarah) Ohmes, Lisa (Kelly Reed) Evans, Jeff (Jill Glass) Ohmes, Jaime (Dominic) Cantu, Megan (Drew) Taylor, Bryan Thelen and Jeff Thelen. Great Grandchildren: Aubrie, Alivia, Caleb and Dominic, Jr. Cantu, Emme Taylor, Lexi, Kylie, Natalie Ohmes, Val Hayes and Nico Reed. Sister Katherine Scholdberg and many cousins and nieces/nephews.

Her services will be at the St. Joseph Catholic Church in Shawnee, KS Tuesday, April 8th, 2014 with a visitation 9:30 am - 10:30 am followed by Mass and burial at Resurrection Cemetery.

Donations can be made to the Alzheimer's Association in Honor of "Mom's Reasons" or to St. Thomas Aquinas High School Guardian Fund in honor of Donald E. (Donnie) Thelen, Jr.